Earth Tremor, Floods: FG Tasks States On Proactive Measures

By Innocent Odoh, Abuja

The Federal Government has urged states and Nigerians to take proactive measures to mitigate the threat of the reported case of earth tremor in a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the danger of flood disaster in some states.

Minister of Innovation Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, urged this while briefing reporters on Wednesday in Abuja following the reported earth tremor at Mpape, a suburb of the FCT. He urged citizens to remain calm and said the government is already addressing the issue.

The Minister also warned states such as Kogi, Delta, Edo, Rivers, Bayelsa, and others with high water levels to be alert to contain a possible threat of flooding. The Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroon is beginning to overflow with water, which might cause flooding in these states.

Remember that on September 16, 2024, the residents of Mpape experienced another series of earth tremors. These tremors, six to eight in total, began around 11:00 p.m. According to data from the seismograms of seismic stations operated by the Centre for Geodesy and Geodynamics (an activity centre under the National Space Research and Development Agency), the seismic events were recorded.

According to the Minister, data was analysed and processed by a team of researchers from the Centre for Geodesy and Geodynamics, Toro, using the SEISAN and SeisComP earthquake analysis software. The result revealed three foreshocks at 11:12:10 p.m., 11:16:87 p.m., and 11:18:37 p.m. on Monday, 16th September 2024, with the main shock occurring at 11:18:35 p.m. of the same day. After that, three aftershocks were also felt at 11:32:10 p.m., 11:47:29 p.m., and 11:56:46 p.m. respectively.

“Many may recall that Mpape experienced a similar sequence of earth tremors from September 5 to 7, 2018, which drew significant local and international attention to Nigeria‘s increasing seismic activity.

„The recent tremors were accompanied by loud noises and ground shaking, causing widespread alarm among the residents of Mpape. In response, the government is currently processing and analysing comprehensive datasets from its seismic and,” the minister said.

He urged the residents of Mpape and, by extension, the wider Abuja area to remain calm and continue their everyday activities. He added that the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) closely monitors the situation and will soon implement measures to mitigate the seismic risks.

On the threat of imminent flood risk to Southern Nigeria, the Minister said the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIISA), space-based monitoring by the United Nations Platform for Space-Based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UNSPIDER), which NASRDA hosts, has revealed alarming details regarding the activities surrounding the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.

“The dam overflow affected about 137 hectares of land between July 1 and 31. However, a sharp increase was observed between August and September, with the overflow affecting 2,053 hectares by the end of August and reaching a staggering 18,737 hectares by mid-September.

“These satellite images indicate a significant and escalating flood risk. We advise downstream states, including Kogi, Edo, Delta, Rivers, and Bayelsa, to activate all necessary flood control measures. We will continue monitoring activities nationwide and provide regular updates,” the Minister said.

In his remarks, Director General of NARSDA Mathew Adepoju said the situation is not out of hand yet, even as he charged states to avoid certain activities that might escalate it.